Theory of plastic vortex creep

We develop a theory for plastic vortex creep in a topologically disordered (dislocated) vortex solid phase in type-II superconductors in terms of driven thermally activated dislocation dynamics. Plastic barriers for dislocations show a power-law divergence at small driving currents j, U(pl)( j) approximately j(-&mgr;), with &mgr; = 1 for a single dislocation and &mgr; = 2/5 for creep of dislocation bundles. This implies a suppression of the creep rate at the transition from the ordered vortex phase ( &mgr; = 2/11) to the dislocated glass and can manifest itself as an observed increase of the apparent critical current (second peak). Our approach applies to general dynamics of disordered elastic media on a random substrate.     

Interacting electrons in disordered wires: Anderson localization and low-T transport

We study the conductivity sigma(T) of interacting electrons in a low-dimensional disordered system at low temperature T. For weak interactions, the weak-localization regime crosses over with lowering T into a dephasing-induced "power-law hopping." As T is further decreased, the Anderson localization in Fock space crucially affects sigma(T), inducing a transition at T = T(c), so that sigma(T < T(c)) = 0. The critical behavior of sigma(T) above T(c) is ln sigma(T) proportional to -(T - T(c))(-1/2). The mechanism of transport in the critical regime is many-particle transitions between distant states in Fock space.     

Dynamical phase transition of a driven vortex lattice with disordered pinning

We have numerically solved the overdamped equation of vortex motion in a two-dimensional driven vortex lattice with disordered pinning, in which the driving Lorentz force, the pinning force due to point defects, the intervortex interacting force, and the thermal fluctuation force are taken into account. It is found that the vortex density and pinning strength are two important factors of affecting the melting transition of a vortex lattice. At low magnetic fields, there exist hysteresis loops of the average vortex velocity and the average pinning force vs. the driving force, from which the feature of a first-order melting transition of the vortex motion can be clearly seen. As the magnetic field is increased beyond a critical value, the hysteresis loops disappear and the melting transition is replaced by a second-order glass transition. We have also studied the influence of intervortex interactions on the vortex melting transition by comparing several forms of repulsive forces between the vortices.     

Hydrophobic nanoconfinement suppresses fluctuations in supercooled water

We perform very efficient Monte Carlo simulations to study the phase diagram of a water monolayer confined in a fixed disordered matrix of hydrophobic nanoparticles between two hydrophobic plates. We consider different hydrophobic nanoparticle concentrations c. We adopt a coarse-grained model of water that, for c = 0, displays a first-order liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) line with negative slope in the pressure-temperature (P-T) plane, ending in a liquid-liquid critical point at about 174 K and 0.13 GPa. We show that upon increase of c the liquid-gas spinodal and the temperature of the maximum density line are shifted with respect to the c = 0 case. We also find dramatic changes in the region around the LLPT. In particular, we observe a substantial (more than 90%) decrease of isothermal compressibility, thermal expansion coefficient and constant-pressure specific heat upon increasing c, consistent with recent experiments. Moreover, we find that a hydrophobic nanoparticle concentration as small as c = 2.4% is enough to destroy the LLPT for P ≥ 0.16 GPa. The fluctuations of volume apparently diverge at P ≈ 0.16 GPa, suggesting that the LLPT line ends in an LL critical point at 0.16 GPa. Therefore, nanoconfinement reduces the range of P-T where the LLPT is observable. By increasing the hydrophobic nanoparticle concentration c, the LLPT becomes weaker and its P-T range smaller. The model allows us to explain these phenomena in terms of a proliferation of interfaces among domains with different local order, promoted by the hydrophobic effect of the water-hydrophobic-nanoparticle interfaces.     

Direct Observation of Vortex and Meissner Domains in a Ferromagnetic Superconductor EuFe2(As0.79P0.21)2 Single Crystal

JETP Letters - A spontaneous vortex structure in magnetic domains (vortex domains) has been visualized by the decoration technique near the ferromagnetic transition temperature (TC = 18 K) in a...     

Vortex imaging in Co-doped BaFe2As2

We review superconducting vortex imaging in Co-doped BaFe₂As₂ by Bitter decoration and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). At all measured fields a highly disordered vortex configuration is observed, which is attributed to strong pinning. Further support of this conclusion comes from the absence of a Meissner rim in decoration images obtained close to the sample edge. The evolution of the SANS scattering vector with increasing applied field indicates vortex lattice domains of (distorted) hexagonal symmetry. This is consistent with the decoration images which show small, six fold coordinated ordered vortex domains. The SANS scattered intensity is found to decrease rapidly with increasing field, exceeding the rate expected from estimates of the upper critical field. This is consistent with the large degree of vortex “lattice” disorder.     

Critical dynamics associated with dynamic disordering near the depinning transition in different vortex phases

We study a depinning transition based on transient dynamics of vortices driven by a suddenly applied dc current, focusing on whether a difference in the equilibrium vortex phase that can lead to a different vortex flow will change the critical behavior. After preparing an ordered initial vortex configuration, we measure the time evolution of voltage associated with dynamic disordering in three magnetic fields, corresponding to the ordered phase (OP), disordered phase (DP), and coexistence phase. The critical behavior of the depinning transition is commonly observed in these phases, pointing to the universality of the transition. However, the critical behavior is most marked in the coexistence phase, while the suppression of the critical region and that of dynamic disordering are observed in OP and DP, respectively, whose origin is attributed to the different flow states among these phases.     

Supercooling of the disordered vortex lattice in Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta)

Time-resolved local induction measurements near the vortex lattice order-disorder transition in optimally doped Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta) crystals show that the high-field, disordered phase can be quenched to fields as low as half the transition field. Over an important range of fields, the electrodynamical behavior of the vortex system is governed by the coexistence of ordered and disordered vortex phases in the sample. We interpret the results as supercooling of the high-field phase and the possible first-order nature of the order-disorder transition at the "second magnetization peak."     

Large decrease of fluctuations for supercooled water in hydrophobic nanoconfinement

Using Monte Carlo simulations, we study a coarse-grained model of a water layer confined in a fixed disordered matrix of hydrophobic nanoparticles at different particle concentrations c. For c=0, we find a first-order liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) ending in one critical point at low pressure P. For c>0, our simulations are consistent with a LLPT line ending in two critical points at low and high P. For c=25%, at high P and low temperature, we find a dramatic decrease of compressibility, thermal expansion coefficient, and specific heat. Surprisingly, the effect is present also for c as low as 2.4%. We conclude that even a small presence of hydrophobic nanoparticles can drastically suppress thermodynamic fluctuations, making the detection of the LLPT more difficult.     

Doping dependence of the vortex glass and sublimation transitions in the high-T<Subscript>c</Subscript> superconductor La<Subscript>2-x</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>x</Subscript>CuO<Subscript>4</Subscript> as determined from macroscopic measurements

Magnetization and ac-susceptibility measurements are used to characterize the mixed phase of the high-temperature cuprate superconductor La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ over a large range of doping (0.075 0.20). The first order vortex lattice phase transition line H_FOT(T), the upper critical field H_c2(T) and the second peak H_sp(T) have been investigated up to high magnetic fields (8 Tesla applied perpendicular to the CuO₂ planes). Our results reveal a strong doping dependence of the magnetic phase diagram, which can mainly be explained by the increasing anisotropy with underdoping. Within our interpretation, the first order vortex lattice phase transition is due to the sublimation (rather than melting) of the vortex lattice into a gas of pancake vortices, whereas the second peak is related to the transition to a more disordered vortex glass state.     

Structural study of ND4I at high pressures and low temperatures

Abstract

Structure, positional, and thermal parameters of ND₄I were studied at high pressures up to 90 kbar and low temperatures down to 10 K using time-of-flight neutron diffraction. The phase transition from a disordered CsCI-type cubic phase ND₄I(II) into a recently discovered high pressure phase ND₄I(V) was observed at P = 80(5) kbar. Surprisingly, the structure of the high pressure phase V was found to bear a strong resemblance to that of the ambient pressure, low-temperature phase III - tetragonal structure with an antiparallel ordering of ammonium ions, space group P4/nmm. The critical value of the deuterium positional parameter corresponding to the II-V transition is close to the one for the phase transition between the disordered and ordered CsCl-type cubic phases II and IV in other ammonium halides.     

无序二维约瑟夫森结阵列中磁场引起的涡旋玻璃态相变

采用电阻阻错结的无序二维约瑟夫森结阵列模型,数值研究超导薄膜中垂直磁场引起的涡旋运动.通过分析磁场激发产生的涡旋度Ne及低频电压噪声S₀的变化特性,得到如下结论：在无序超导体中固定温度不变,随着磁场的减弱涡旋液态经过准有序的布拉格相,涡旋玻璃相重新进入到低磁场下的钉扎稀磁液相. 由于在涡旋玻璃相中,电流驱动下的噪声值表现出一个峰,表明系统处于无序与有序相互竞争的亚稳态,并且临界电流应有峰值效应. 计算得到噪声值的变化与Okuma等得到的无序超导Mo_xSi_1-x膜实验现象一致,并能解释磁场降低引起的重新进入钉扎的稀磁液相行为. 关键词： 约瑟夫森结阵列 磁通玻璃 重新进入 峰值效应     

New vortex-matter size effect observed in Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8 + delta)

The vortex-matter 3D to 2D phase transition is studied in micron-sized Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8 + delta) single crystals using local Hall magnetization measurements. At a given temperature, the second magnetization peak, the signature of a possible 3D--2D vortex phase transition, disappears for samples smaller than a critical length. We suggest that this critical length should be equated with the 2D vortex lattice ab-plane correlation length R(2D)(c). The magnitude and temperature dependence of R(2D)(c) agree well with Larkin-Ovchinnikov collective pinning theory.     

Picosecond snapshot of the speckles from ferroelectric BaTiO3 by means of x-ray lasers

A picosecond x-ray laser speckle has been conducted to study the dynamics of a disordered surface domain structure (BaTiO3 with 90 degrees c/a domains) as a function of temperature for the first time. The transient surface structures induced by ferroelectric domains decrease as temperature increases towards the Curie temperature T(c) and completely disappear above T(c). The dramatic change of the spatial configuration of the c/a domains was observed to occur from a temperature 2 degrees C below T(c), near which the average correlated domain size at equilibrium decreases as (T(c)-T)(0.37+/-0.02).     

Dynamic melting of confined vortex matter

We study dynamic melting of confined vortex matter moving in disordered, mesoscopic channels by mode-locking experiments. The dynamic melting transition, characterized by a collapse of the mode-locking effect, strongly depends on the frequency, i.e., on the average velocity of the vortices. The associated dynamic ordering velocity diverges upon approaching the equilibrium melting line T(m,e)(B) as v(c) approximately (T(m,e)-T)(-1). The data provide the first direct evidence for velocity dependent melting and show that the phenomenon also takes place in a system under disordered confinement.     

无序超导体磁通运动的两次退钉扎效应和重新进入超导相

考虑平面内和不同平面磁通之间的相互作用力，计算了无序各向异性超导体中磁通运动的平均速度、微分电阻随驱动力F_l的变化规律，用层间关联函数C_z的值来判断2D塑性流动和3D关联流动的运动图像.观察到随着外驱动力的增大微分电阻出现两个尖峰，它对应着磁通运动存在两次退钉扎现象.在一定层间耦合条件下，在微分电阻双峰之间，可观察到重新进入微分电阻为零的钉扎相.这与最近实验上新发现的无序弱钉扎超导体有重新进入超导相的巨大峰值效应相吻合.同时，也可发现随着驱动电流的增大，磁通运动出现由2D塑性流动到3D弹性流动的相变，这一维度的变化对应着微分电阻dV/dI曲线中的二次峰位置. 并证明当层间耦合(即代表磁场的大小)在一定范围时，3D-2D相变对应的临界电流随磁场的增大而增大, 反映了第二磁化峰附近的磁通格子软硬度改变的微观图像. 关键词： 第Ⅱ类超导体 磁通线格子 钉扎 峰值效应     

Vortex fluctuations in underdoped Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta) crystals

Vortex thermal fluctuations in heavily underdoped Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta) (T(c)=69.4 K) are studied using Josephson plasma resonance. From the zero-field data, we obtain the c-axis penetration depth lambda(L,c)(0)=230+/-10 micrometer and the anisotropy ratio gamma(T). The low plasma frequency allows us to study phase correlations over the whole vortex solid state and to extract a wandering length r(w) of vortex pancakes. The temperature dependence of r(w) as well as its increase with dc magnetic field is explained by the renormalization of the vortex line tension by the fluctuations, suggesting that this softening is responsible for the dissociation of the vortices at the first order transition.     

Static and dynamic coupling transitions of vortex lattices in disordered anisotropic superconductors

We use three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations of magnetically interacting pancake vortices to study vortex matter in disordered, highly anisotropic materials such as BSCCO. We observe a sharp 3D-2D transition from vortex lines to decoupled pancakes as a function of relative interlayer coupling strength, with an accompanying large increase in the critical current reminiscent of a second peak effect. We find that decoupled pancakes, when driven, simultaneously recouple and order into a crystalline-like state at high drives. We construct a dynamic phase diagram and show that the dynamic recoupling transition is associated with a double peak in dV/dI.     

W(110)基底上的铁纳米岛初始自发磁化态的微磁学模拟

用微磁学模拟研究W(110)基底上铁纳米岛的初始自发磁化态的磁畴结构,确定了不规则形状、椭圆形和矩形岛中不同磁畴态之间的各向异性常数的临界点,得到了纳米岛的磁化态作为各向异性常数和厚度函数的完整相图,相图中存在一较宽的过渡区,把双畴态与涡旋态和菱形态分开,过渡区两侧的边界是不确定的.计算结果表明,初始自发磁化态的磁畴结构主要由各向异性及岛的厚度决定,而且岛的边沿形状对涡旋态和菱形态的磁畴结构有重要影响.准确的铁纳米岛的各向异性常数仍有待于进一步确定. 关键词： 初始自发磁化磁畴结构 铁纳米岛 微磁学模拟 各向异性